1. Field of Invention
A multi-positional dual drill guide for use in orthopedic surgical procedures during an orthopedic repair of a joint, cartilage, bone or associated soft tissues, provides two independent drill guide to properly align a pair of holes being drilled into a common bone from different locations to intersect and form a common channel for the passage of a suture and associated tissue during an orthopedic repair of a joint wherein the suture or other repair material is passed through the bone tunnels with specially designed tools that work in conjunction with the drill guide.
2. Description of Prior Art
A preliminary review of prior art patents was conducted by the applicant which reveal prior art patents in a similar field or having similar use. However, the prior art inventions do not disclose the same or similar elements as the present full range multi-positional bone drill guide, nor do they present the material components in a manner contemplated or anticipated in the prior art.
In a first set of patents of prior art, singular drill guides are disclosed having a first fixed leg which defines a positioning guide, while a drill guide is adjustably affixed to an arched pathway to set the drill guide at a desired angle with the positioning guide. These patent include U.S. Pat. No. 6,342,056 to Mac-Thiong, U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,511 to Chan, U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,284 to Chervitz, U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,644 to Durlacher, U.S. Pat. No. 7,833,230 to Cerundolo, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,940 to Bourque. Three pending patent application have been published indicating a similar fixed indicator or pin with an adjustable drill guide, including U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2011/0166581 to Van Der Merwe (Jul. 7, 2011), 2010/0121337 to Pandya (May 13, 2010), and 2003/0216742 to Wetzler (Nov. 20, 2003). In U.S. Pat. No. 4,672,957 to Hourahane, a single drill guide in shown providing a bracket of approximately 180 degree with a first support engaged upon the arced bracket providing a tubular drill guide, and a second support upon which a probe is located, the probe defining a pointed tip, which is visible to a surgeon during a repair to the knee joint, the pointed tip inserted to the desired depth into the knee joint.
There is a published patent application, U.S. Patent Application No. 2008/0103506 to Volpi, which indicates a dual drill guide mechanism with a first fixed drill guide and a second adjustable drill guide on curved support extending between the first and second guide members with the first and second drill guides being offset such that the axis of the guide members do not intersect. It also has a support arm in another embodiment and mated to the first guide member to mark the termination of the first drill guide passage. The support does not disclose a means of providing an angle to the support member allow the first and second drill guide to not only slide along the support member up to 180 degrees, but also up to 90 degrees in a perpendicular plane.